Latch mechanism

ABSTRACT

275,657. Budd Manufacturing Co., E. G., (Assignees of Tarbox, J. P.). Aug. 7, 1926, [Convention date]. Latches, sliding, for use on automobile doors having sliding windows of maximum width, have the inside and outside operating handles interconnected by means extending round the hinged edges of the doors. In the example shown, the latch bolt 23 is operated on the inside by the lever 31 pivoted at 33 and engaging a lever 32 which engages the pin 30 in the latch. The extreme end 45 of the lever 32 works in a slot 44 in a bar 36 during this operation without moving the bar.&#39; From the outside, the latch is operated by a handle 14 which slides on a plate 11 connected to a bar 35 extending round the hinged edge of the door at 38 and rigidly connected to the bar 36. The bend 38 is housed in a recess 40 in the door post. In an alternative form, Fig. 6, a pin 47 is journaled in the hinged edge of the door and has rigidly attached two arms 50, 51. to which are connected the bars 35&#39;, 36. The bolt is recessed at 27 to receive the spring 26 and slides between guides 22, 24 on the casing. The spring abuts on a flange 28 of the casing.

J. P. TARBOX LATCH MECHANISM Filed Aug. '7, 1926 I a I i UNlT STATES.

Arar 'rris.

JOHN E. TAR-BOX,

BUD]; MANUFAGIUBING COMPANY, POBATION OF EENINSYLVANIA.

9F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGHOB T EDWD G. 015 PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A. COE- LA'IGH MECHANISM.

, This invention relates to improvements in latch mechanism, and it has to do more particularly, with latch mechanism especially suited for use in doors of automobile bodies.

; Automobile bodies, especially those of the closed type, should be provided with latch mechanisms for the doors capable of operation from either the interior orexterior of the body.

The doors of the closed type of automobile bodies are generally provided with windows slidably arranged in the upper portion of the door and adapted to be lowered into a Well or pocket located in the lower portion.

It is now the aim of body builders to utilize windows of maximum width for these doors, so that interference with free vision from the interior of the body will be redueed to the utmost. It has been found that a window of a width of substantially the full width of the door could be used if the inside and outside operators for the latch mechanism were spaced apart and operatively connected by an interlocking means passing around the vertical edge of, the window pane transversely of the door jamb, or by such means extending downwardly on both sides of the pocket in the lower portion ofthe door and across the bottom edge of the path of movement of the window. 1

Those constructions, passing around the vertical edge, while they attain the object sought, possess certain disadvantages. The interlocking means arranged to pass around the vertical edge of the window transversely of the door jamb necessitates that the jamb be out and thereby weakened for its reception, as well as resenting protuberances on 40 the jamb face 0 the door which are not only undeeorative but which are also annoying to persons entering or leaving the machine. The construction employing an interlocking means circumventing the window by passing downwardly on each side thereof and across its bottom edge requires that a special bearing for such means be arranged in the door wall or pocket. This construction is also limited in its application since the length of 59 the interlocking means and thereby the movement or" the window is directly limited by the degree of curvature and the thickness or the door.

The principal object of this invention is to overcome the above enumerated disadvantages.

Ancillary objects include the provision of a latch mechanism which is simple in structure, economical to manufacture, easy to assemble and which is compact, eficient and durable in use, together with additional objects and advantages which will appear here inai'ter as the description proceeds.

The invention contemplates the attainment of these objects by means of an interlocking member for the outside and inside latch operatlng devices which extends longitudinally of the door on both sides of the window and across the edge thereof at the hinged or back edge of the door.

Embodiments .of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein,

Fig. 1 shows in side elevation a closed automobile body, the latch mechanism for the door thereof being indicated partially by dotted lines.

Fig. 2-shows ahoriaontal sectional view through the door and its frame, taken approximately on lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view of the latch mechanism taken on line 33 of Fig.2, the casing being in section.

Fig. 4 is a view of the outside latch operating device taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 shows a modified form or interlocking means, and is a horizontal sectional View taken on line ,5-5 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 5, showing the modified form or interlockin device.

Like reference 0 aracters refer to corresponding parts throughout, while the sec tional views of the drawings are taken looking in the direction or the arrows at the ends of the section lines. 7

The latch mechanism is shown as mounted upon the door 1 of an automobile, and comprises, in general, an outsidelatch operating device 2, an inside latch operating device 3, and an interlocking means 4.

The door is provided with a window pane ment. It is apparent that rotation of the- .25 located on the door 5 slidable thereinand of substantially the full width of the door.. This pane is adapted to travel in window channel guides 6 and 7 located adjacent to the hinge and jamb edges of the door respectively.

The outside operating device 2' is mounted upon an angle plate 8 suitably secured to the inner side of the jamb edge of the door so as to lie on the outside of the path of movement of the window pane 5. Spaced guide ribs or members 9 and 10 extending horizontally of the base plate are arranged to slidably receive a plate 11. This plate is provided with an opening 12, the rear walls of which are convergent and are adapted to lie in contact with. similarly disposed sides of a double winged roll back 13. The roll back is rotatably mounted on the spindle 14, which is provided upon its outer end with a handle 15. Bearings for the spindle are provided by openings formed in the outside of the door and in theplate 16 which also acts as a cover plate for the roll back mechanism. An escutcheon,

surrounds the spindle and gives a finished appearance to the hole through which the same projects in the outside of the door. A. spring 18 suitably anchored to base plate 8, bears against the end of the plate 11, so that normally the coacting'sides of the roll back and of the opening 12 are in engagespindle in either direction will correspond ingly rotate the roll back and move the plate 11 against the tension of the spring 18.

The inside latch operating device 3 comprises a latch casing 19 secured to the inner side of the 'door on the opposite side of the window pane from the outside operating device. This latch casing comprises an angle plate 20 forming a base therefor and adapted to be attached to the door jainh by an arm portion 21. A substantially U-shaped mem ber 22 forms the top of the latch casing well as acting as guide for the latch bolt 23. This member is attached to the base plate in any suitable manner by portions 24 projecting' therefrom. The latch bolt 23 is adapted to slide between the arms of the U- shaped member and to have the head thereof.

pro ect outwardly through the jamb face of the door into engagement with a keeper 0st. A slot 26 is formed in the bolt and ouses a spring 27, one end of which'bears against the bolt at the. end of the slot and the other end of which bears against lug 28 struck up from plate 20. This spring normally maintains the bolt projected. The bolt is also provided with an elongated cut-out portion 29 having a pin or stud 30 arranged therein. Two levers 31 and 32 are pivoted at 33 to the plate 20. The lever 31 forms the inside operating lever and has the lower end thereof oflset from the remainder of the levterlocking member 4 lies substantially n the horizontal plane of the latch mechanism and circumvents the path of movement of the window glass by going around the edge thereof adjacent to the hinged edge of the door. This interconnecting or interlocking member is preferably in the form of a U-shaped member, the legs 35 and 36 of which pass through apertures in thehinge rail-37 of the door on opposite sides of the path of movement of the glass. The bight 33 of the interconnecting or in is adapted to pass through a-slot 40 in the hinge door post 39 and lie therein when the latch is in its engaged position. When the latch is retracted and the interlocking member reciprocated the bight will pass out into the open space between the post and the hinge rail of the do ir, lying substantially against the hinge rai The arm 35 of the interlocking member may be connected to the plate 11 of the outside operating device in any preferred way. As shown, the end of the arm is provided with an enlargement 41 having a central opening 42 therein. The end of the plate 11 extends over this opening and a securing member 43 passes through the end of the plate and the opening. This securing member bears against the inner circumference of the opening at all times, so that a forward movement of the plate 11 will be transmitted to the arm 35.

The arm 36v is operatively connected to the inner operating device by a lost motion through the opening. it will be apparent that when the lever 31 is used to retract the bolt that the interconnecting or interlocking member will not be reci rocated, since the length of the slot 44 permits the levers 31 and 32 to move suflicient ly to eifect the bolt retraction.

Whenthe outside operating device is operated, movement of the plate 11 through the connecting means 43 will pull the arm 35 in the same direction. This movement is correspondingly transmitted to the arm 36, which in turn pressing against the connecting hombre means 34 swings the lever 82 about its pivot, thereby retracting the latch bolt independently of the inner operating device. It will be observed that during this reciprocation of the interlocking means, that the arm 35 is under tension while the arm 36 is under compression.

In place of the interconnecting or interlocking means previously described, a construction according to that shown in Figures 5 and 5 could be used. In this form, the hinge rail of thedoor has secured thereon a plate as, the middle portion. of .which is rounded to form a beuing 4:7 for a shaft 48 journalled therein. between the hinge rail and the post. The post is provided with a complementary recessed portion 49 for receiving the plate 46 and for providing the necessary clearance for the same when the dooris swung on its hinges. The opposlte ends of the shaft d8 are connected to the arms 35 and 36 by members 50 and elrespectively. The remainder ofthelatch mech anism may be identical with that already described, as may also the operation of the same. I

It is readily understood that the outside operating device retracts thelatch bolt ndependently of the inner operating device and that the same may be said in respect to the inner operating device "and the outer operating device. Also that this construction does not require more openings to be made in the face of the door jamb than are necessary with the usual form of latch, that such openings as are needed for this mechanism may be distributed between the 3amb and hinge rails, that the curvature or thickness of the door does not afi'ect the length of the interlocking member and thereby the lowering of the window, ing is required for the interockmg member, and that the jamb rail will not be defaced or weakened.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention hasbeen described and shown it should be well understood that the invention is susceptible of various adaptations and modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A. latch mechanism for an automobile door havin an extensible member oft substantially t e full width of the door slidably arranged therein comprising a latch bolt,

that no special bear-- means for operating said bolt located on opposite sides of the door, and an interlocking means for said bolt operating means circumventing the edge of the extensible member at the hinged edge of the door.

2. A latch mechanism for an automobile door having an extensible member of substantially the full width of the door slidably arranged therein comprising a latch bolt, inside and outside operating means for said and means circumventing the edge of the extensible member at the hinged edge of the door for operatively connecting the outside operating means with the latch bolt.

3. A latch mechanism for an automobile door having an extensible member of substantially the full width of the door slidably arranged therein comprising alatch bolt, operating means for said bolt located on the inner and outer sides of the door, and a substantially U-shaped member the arms of which extend 0n%both sides of the extensible member and the bight ofwhich passes around the edge of the member at the hinged edge of the door for operatively connecting the operating means. v v

4:. A latch-mechanism for an automobile door having an extensible member of substantially the full width of the door slidably arranged therein comprising a latch bolt, operating means for said bolt located on the inner and outer sides of the door, and a sub stantially U-shaped member embracing the extensible member and passing around the hingededge of the door, said U-shaped mem member being reciprocable as a unit and operatively connecting the outside latch operating means with the latch bolt.

5. In combination, a door of the type adapted to have an extensible member of substantially the full width of the door slidable therein, a door post provided with a recess, and a "latch mechanism for the door comprising a latch bolt, inside and outside latch operating means located on opposite sidesof the door near the jamb edge thereof, and an interlocking device between said latch operating means having two arms passing horizontally one on each side of the extensible member, and connected by a portion accommodated in therecess.

In testimonv whereof he hereunto aflixes his signature. I

JOHN P. TARBOX.

bolt operable independently of each other, i 

